Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

It is raining. I don't care what the NWS predicted for yesterday during the daylight hours, the rain arrived tonight/this morning. However, the rain is scheduled to mostly end by 7:00 a.m. We have plans to go to Hemlock Crossing County Park later today to take what has been billed as a "Wildflower Walk", but the trails may be a bit on the muddy side. With my somewhat limited walking ability due to my not yet ready for prime time knees and my steadily improving yak, I'll make a game-time decision. The sun will be rising today @ 7:08 a.m. and setting later @ 8:23 p.m.

Yesterday in baseball, the results were mixed. The 6 - 5 Cubs routed the now 8 - 3 Pirates, 13 - 5 t stay solidly in 2nd place in the NL Central, two games in back of the Pirates. Those two teams are scheduled to meet this afternoon @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

My 9 - 2 1st place beloved Red Sox are human, as they fell to the 3rd place 6 - 6 Yankees, 7 - 10, in a battle of AL East rivals.. Firmer Tiger, J.D. Martinez, belted a Grand Slam, but it was not enough. A brawl and four ejections marred this strange game The Sox and the Indians play again tonight @ 6:10 p.m.

The 4 - 7 Tigers are mired in 3rd place in the AL Central, as they lost to the 7 - 5 Indians, 1 - 5. The Tigers and the Indians play again tonight @ 6:10 p.m. EDT.

The 4 - 1 Caps were once again victorious over the Great Lakes Loons, 5 - 1 in an Midwest League East match-up. The Caps are off to a hot start and they will play the Loons again today @ 12:00 p.m. EDT.

I spent a huge chunk of my day yesterday in the kitchen making baked tofu, vegan pastrami, and vegan bacon. All three items turned out great and Mary made vegan BLTs for dinner that were accompanied by my vegan Coleslaw, which also turned out great. We have plans to walk the fur-children and pick up some Polish rye bread this morning so that Mary can make vegan Reuben sandwiches. Once again, that walk is a game-time decision.

As an aside, Mary and I decided to go vegan four or five years ago due to our/my late in life realization that animals have a life too. My loyal readers may recall that my epiphany came when I saw a load of pigs on their way to the slaughterhouse. Those pigs reminded me of STWD, a lot, so the move was easier for me than you might expect. Plus, as we aren't getting any younger, so it was/is time to watch those numbers the doctors are always talking about, like LDL, HDL, and BP. So, no more red meat, which I really don't miss, no more dairy, which isn't good for most people as they get older, etc.

I almost forgot to mention that I have now started a collection of U.S. nickels starting with 1970 and ending with 2018 in the blank spaces. No particular reason except that nickels are plentiful, often received in change and are therefore easier to come by. Plus, quarters are heavier and more costly. For $5.00 I can fill my entire nickel book, whereas quarters are an investment of $25.00 for an equal number of coins. Yes, Adam, another cheap hobby unlike my addiction to my three guitars, a single ukulele, a lone banjitar, and a bodhran, and an electric piano. I don't have enough hobbies. Or do I?

I have plans to spend some time in my office/music room/weather center today after we return from our morning walk, playing with the girls. Mary has plans to do something, but I forget what, probably some crafty thing, all before our afternoon Wildflower Walk @ Hemlock Crossing County Park. Mary also printed out the latest indexing project, a short tome of 150 pages. She assures me that it is an interesting book that just awaits my highlighting and commentary. Ciao.